


One and the Same

by Nienna



Category: Tales of Graces
Genre: Fluff, Gen, Gift Fic, Humor, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-12-24
Updated: 2015-12-24
Packaged: 2018-05-09 00:04:36
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,739
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5518067
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nienna/pseuds/Nienna
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Throughout his life, Lambda has faced many trials. Giving Sophie a birthday present is one of them.</p>
            </blockquote>





	One and the Same

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Dream_Traveler_Kirvee](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dream_Traveler_Kirvee/gifts).



> Written for Kirvee as part of Tales of Secret Santa 2015!

Asbel’s life had never really been quiet, but his last few days had been beyond hectic. The reason: Sophie’s upcoming birthday party.

Long ago, Sophie had questioned the meaning of a “birthday”, and once provided with an answer, wondered when her own was. While the answer was beyond her friends’ knowledge, Richard suggested an alternative: that they could celebrate her birthday on the day they she first met Asbel, many years ago in Lhant Hill.

Sophie, of course, loved the idea. And so, for the following months, she eagerly waited for her first birthday. And Asbel, unsurprisingly, vowed to throw her the best birthday party Lhant had ever seen.

There would be myriads of flowers, crablettes, and everything else Sophie loved. Which meant many, many things for Asbel to plan and organize. On top of his usual lordly duties, he had been getting very little sleep, but he was more than certain it would be worth it.

_“Asbel.”_

Startled, he nearly dropped the stack of paper he had been holding. Lambda’s voice in his head rarely surprised him anymore, but he had been very quiet for the last few days. It was odd. Before, Lambda had developed the habit to talk to him relatively often. Most of it was sarcastic banter or downright mockery, but still…

_“Hey, Lambda. Something’s up?”_

There was a long pause. _“You have been busy.”_

 _“You tell me.”_ Asbel couldn’t help but chuckle. _“Do you need something? You’ve been quiet lately.”_

_“…I am simply tired of the way my vessel has been running back and fro. When will this madness end?”_

_“You know I am preparing Sophie’s birthday. It’s in four days.”_

_“You still treat her like a spoiled child, even though she no longer looks like one.”_

Asbel raised an eyebrow. _“If you’re jealous, I can throw you a birthday party too.”_

Lambda did not reply. Asbel smirked, and returned to his paperwork. He still had much to do before he could go back to preparing Sophie’s party.

_“You should have begun preparing in advance. Foolish, as usual.”_

_“Lambda, if you have nothing to say, give me a break.”_

Asbel thought he heard a snort, and then silence. He picked up his pen again, but found it hard to concentrate. Now he was thinking about the party yet again.

_“Hey, Lambda?”_

No reply, but Asbel felt Lambda’s mind resonate within his own. He was listening.

_“What are you giving Sophie for her birthday?”_

He felt Lambda’s mind withdraw slightly.

_“…You haven’t thought of anything?”_

_“No.”_

_“Well, that’s fine. I’ll go shopping for presents in Barona with Richard tomorrow afternoon. You can pick something for her, too.”_

_“I am aware.”_

Of what, Asbel wondered: that he and Richard would go shopping, or that Lambda could buy Sophie a present? It seemed to be the former.

_“You don’t have to give her a gift, you know. But I’m sure she would be really happy if you did. She thinks of you as a sibling.”_

Lambda knew that already. Asbel had mentioned it many times. In fact, he was the one who first suggested it to Sophie, who had loved the idea. Lambda, on the other hand, rarely spoke of the subject. When Asbel thought about it… Lambda had never really mentioned how he felt about it.

_“I am not familiar with humans’ gift-giving practices. I would not know what to choose as a present.”_

_“I can help you. It’s easier than you think”_

Lambda went silent, and Asbel swore he heard him groan.

_“Lambda?”_

_“You will not let this go, will you?”_

Asbel couldn’t help but smile. _“I just think it would be nice if you gave her a present. Of course, you don’t need to, if you really don’t want to.”_

_“Ugh. If it will make you stop nagging me about it, I shall do it.”_

Asbel’s smile widened. _“Thanks, Lambda.”_

—

Richard’s face brightened as he saw Asbel approach. He had been waiting in the plaza where Gloandi stood, the wind cryas’ gentle breeze mixing with that of the ocean, ruffling his long hair. Richard wore a plain-looking hooded cloak to help hide his identity, but Asbel could find him anywhere.

_“Please. You knew he would be here. Don’t congratulate yourself.”_

Asbel felt his cheeks flush, and he wasn’t even close to Richard yet. _“I-I wasn’t congratulating myself. Don’t pry into my thoughts, Lambda.”_

_“It’s your fault for leaving them wide open. Even though you have gotten better at shielding your mind from mine, being around my former host leaves you as dim-witted as usual.”_

Asbel sputtered, trying to come up with a retort, but before he could do so, he was interrupted by an outside voice.

“Asbel? Is Lambda talking to you?”

“R-Richard!” Asbel blurted, brought back to reality. Richard was standing close to him, smiling softly, though a hint of apprehension hid in his eyes. While he was no longer as fearful that Lambda would attempt to take over Asbel as he used to be, he still hesitated whenever Lambda was brought up. “Um… yeah, you could say that.”

“Teasing you, I suppose,” Richard added, bringing slender fingers to his mouth to cover a chuckle.

Asbel felt his cheeks redden further. “He must’ve learned it from you.”

Richard’s smile widened, and he reached out, taking one of Asbel’s hand in his own. “Shall we head out? I have quite a lot of presents I would like to buy for Sophie.”

“Don’t spoil her too much.” He gave Richard’s fingers a gentle squeeze, smiling. “But yeah, let’s go. Lambda wants to buy her a gift as well.”

“Lambda?” Richard’s eyes widened, his gaze shifting slightly to Asbel’s left. Asbel knew he was looking into his purple iris. “That’s unexpected.”

_“Does he think so poorly of me?”_

Asbel ignored the sarcastic voice in his head. “Well, Lambda’s not used to gift-giving, but I was thinking we could help him choose something.”

“That’s… a fantastic idea, Asbel.” Richard’s tone brightened. “Sophie will be radiant with happiness.”

 _“You and him really are a pair of starry-eyed idiots.”_ Lambda spoke a bit too quickly, almost a stammer.

_“You’re all flustered, Lambda.”_

_“That’s… ridiculous. I am simply nauseated by your saccharine.”_

Asbel smiled. “I think Lambda is excited to get Sophie a present, too.”

Lambda spoke no further.

—

“Richard, don’t you think you’re buying too many flowers?”

“There’s no such thing as too many flowers, Asbel. Besides, you know how much Sophie loves them.”

Asbel scratched his cheek. The florist kept peeking at them, shocked - and pleased - at the amount of vases they had selected.

“Well… that’s true. But she prefers growing them herself.”

“These varieties cannot be cultivated in Lhant’s climate. They were planted in Strahta and Fendel, and shipped along with the soil they grew on. With proper watering and careful placement to allow the optimal amount of sunlight, they should be able to survive even in—”

“Okay, okay, you’ve convinced me,” Asbel replied, chuckling. Richard wasn’t much of a gardener, but he did have a certain passion for flowers. “You’ve really thought this through.”

Richard smiled, and leaned in to place a kiss on Asbel’s cheek. “It _is_ Sophie’s birthday, after all. You also seem to have gathered a very careful selection of presents for her.”

Asbel looked down at the shopping bag he was carrying. An assortment of gardening supplies, along with a list of fertilizers that he would ask to be delivered to his manor in Lhant. “Yeah… I asked Mom to write me a list of all the things Sophie didn’t have, and the ones that could use a replacement. Much of what we had in the manor was a little old. We’re also running out of fertilizer.”

_“…You are giving animal excrement as a birthday gift.”_

_“L-Lambda!”_ Asbel blurted, face growing warm once again. _“Fertilizer is important to grow flowers.”_

_“It does not change the fact that it is manure. How thoughtful of you.”_

Asbel had to resist the urge to pout. He noticed Richard was looking at him, head tilted, an amused expression on his face.

_“How about you? Have you thought of anything you would like to give Sophie?”_

_“…Not yet.”_

_“Well, let me know if you really can’t come up with anything. Me and Richard can pick something for you to give her.”_

There was a long pause. _“No.”_

_“No?”_

_“I would rather make my own decisions.”_

_“Okay.”_ Something about Lambda’s tone was strange, but Asbel couldn’t quite tell what.

They spent the rest of the afternoon going from store to store, buying enough presents for an entire family. Everywhere they stopped, Asbel made a point to ask Lambda if anything caught his eye, but the answer was always vague or absent.

As happy as Asbel was to have spent the day with Richard, he was disheartened that Lambda seemed not to care about finding a gift for Sophie. Maybe he could set aside one of the things he had bought and tell Sophie it was from Lambda, but it wouldn’t be the same.

The sun was beginning to set, and the stores were on the verge of closing, when Lambda made a sudden, unexpected declaration:

_“I have decided. Let me take over.”_

Asbel froze, lips curling into a grin. Finally! He was fearing it would never happen!

_“What are you giving her, Lambda?”_

Silence. Lambda did not answer.

_“You don’t want to tell me?”_

_“…As usual, you are awfully slow.”_

Asbel sighed. Well, at least Lambda would be giving Sophie _something._ He turned to Richard and quickly explained the situation.

Richard’s brows frowned in worry. Sighing, he said, “I will be waiting for you in the castle, Asbel. Please don’t take long.”

“I’ll be there as soon as I can.” He leaned in, planting a kiss on Richard’s lips, hoping it would melt the worried frown from his face. It did work.

Once Richard was gone, Asbel took a deep breath. _“Take over, Lambda.”_

All he could do was trust him.

—

The party was held at the garden in Lhant manor. It was blooming not only with the flowers Sophie planted, but also with the many arrangements Asbel had commissioned to decorate the party, and the merry, festive spirit of the Lhant populace. Sophie’s birthday was on par with any town-wide celebration

Sophie, above all else, was radiant. She loved the party, the decoration, the food (as many different flavors of crablettes as the cook could come up), and, of course, the presents Asbel gave her. In fact, she almost knelt down and began working on her garden right there and then. As much as it pained Asbel, he had to explain why it wasn’t very appropriate.

With that same buoyant mood, the afternoon went by. The party was drawing to a close, and Asbel was wondering when - or if - Lambda would give Sophie the gift he had bought her.

If he had even bought one, that is. Lambda had not only taken control of his body, but also blocked his senses from Asbel’s consciousness. What if he only meant to trick him into thinking he had bought something, so he could avoid Asbel forcing him to do it?

_“Asbel.”_

Asbel almost jumped. Finally! _“Yes, Lambda?”_

_“I would like for you to give me control now.”_

Relieved, but puzzled, Asbel conceded.

—

“Sophie.”

The voice was Asbel’s, but Sophie knew right away it was not being spoken by him.

“Hi, Lambda.”

Asbel’s face was locked into a serious, unreadable expression, so unlike his usual cheerful self. Sophie stood, and smiled. Lambda remained impassive, but Sophie swore she saw a little tug at the corner of his lips.

“I would like for you to come with me.”

Sophie blinked, tilting her head to one side. “To where?”

“…Lhant Hill.”

—

Lambda spoke little during their way along Lhant Road. Sophie had tried to get him in conversation, but she struggled to come up with topics to talk about. ‘Do you like crablettes?’ did not yield the results she had expected.

The sun was setting by the time they arrive at the top of the hill, the huge tree coming into sight. Sophie’s heart fluttered at see the sight, always so beautiful, so perfect. Lhant Hill was her favorite place in the whole world, the flowers, the scenery, the scent of the ocean, the memories.

Lambda kept on walking towards the tree, and Sophie increased her pace to catch up to him. He stopped under its shade and turned towards her. His hand tightened around a little bag.

Sophie looked up at him, waiting. It was so strange, that this was Asbel’s face, Asbel’s body, and yet she could not think of the one standing before her as Asbel. Lambda was… Lambda.

He glanced at the bag in his hand for a moment, and then looked into Sophie’s eyes again. “Here,” he murmured, holding the bag by its strings in front of Sophie.

Chest swelling with excitement, she took it. Deft fingers untied the strings and opened the bag, and she peered inside, but found it too dark to see the contents. She decided to reach inside and fetch whatever it was, but her fingers touched… something strange, she could not tell what. Cupping one of her hands, she poured some of the contents on it.

“Those are… seeds?”

Lambda nodded silently.

“What kind?”

He hesitated. “Flowers.”

“What kind of flower?”

Lambda did not answer. Sophie waited, until realization dawned upon her. Her lips curved into a big, bright smile. “I get it. It’s a surprise! Thank you, Lambda!”

And then, to Lambda’s shock, Sophie threw her arms around him and pulled him into a tight hug. Speechless, and not knowing how to react, he gingerly returned it. It seemed like an eternity before Sophie pulled back, her smile even more radiant than before.

“We should plant them together!”

Lambda’s jaw dropped, but before he could utter a word, Sophie grabbed his arm and pulled him closer to the tree. She dropped down to her knees and began digging with her bare hands.

“Come on, Lambda!”

Somehow, he found himself kneeling beside her, uncaring of the dirt on Asbel’s white clothes. He dug, as well, the ground soft and moist on his fingers. It was… strange. A sensation he had never felt before.

The fresh smell of grass filled his nostrils, mingling with the ocean breeze. Sophie stopped digging before long, and reached inside the little bag, fetching a small handful of seeds and carefully placing them in the little hole she had made.

She looked over at Lambda’s own patch of dirt. “I think you’ve dug enough, Lambda,” she said, smiling. “Give me your hand.”

Strangely, Lambda once again found himself obeying her. Sophie took his dirt-stayed hand in her own, gently, so gently, placing some seeds on his palm. She closed his fingers around them, and held on to them for a moment. That radiant smile never left her lips.

Lambda understood. He placed the seeds on the ground, in a similar manner Sophie had done just before. She watched him intently, nodding in approval when he was done.

“Let’s cover them up.”

They pushed the dirt back on top of the seeds. Sophie patted them slightly, and Lambda, without thinking, repeated the gesture.

“There’s so much eleth on Lhant Hill that those seeds will grow even if we don’t water them,” Sophie said, giving the ground one last pat, like a parent to a child. “But we should come back now and then to check on them. I want to see what kind of flower they will grow into.” She turned to Lambda, smiling. “Thank you, Lambda.”

“You’re… welcome.”

Sophie stood, wiping dirt from her clothes. Lambda remained kneeling for a moment, a strange warmth in his chest. There was a feeling of unreality to the whole situation, of bewilderment.

And suddenly, he saw a hand right under his face, and looked up at Sophie, smiling, always smiling, offering him help to stand. She was… so much like Asbel. How, when she had been built as a weapon, designed to be empty of feelings, meant to destroy _him_ above all else? How could something, someone, change so much?

Would the same happen to Lambda?

He placed his hand on top of hers, felt her fingers, so warm, wrap around his own. And right then, he knew the answer, knew it without a doubt.

They were one and the same.


End file.
